The purpose of the Analytical and Morphological Core will be to centralize the following techniques: analytical chemistry, enzyme-linked immunoassays (ELISA), radioimmunoassays (RIA), Western blot analysis, and receptor binding assay. Analytical chemistry will be used to determine nitrites, nitrates and hydroxyproline. ELISA and RIA will be utilized for the measurement of plasma and tissue levels of the tetrapeptide Ac-SDKP, prostanoids, vasoactive peptide, cyclic adenosine and guanosine monophosphates. Wester blot analysis will be performed to measure metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9. Zymography will be used to determine metalloproteinase (MMP-2 and MMP-9) activities. EMSA will be utilized to assess activation of the nuclear transcription factor NF-kappa beta. For the morphometric analyses, Core Bi will prepare tissue slides (i.e., cryostat sectioning, embedding and histological and immunohistochemical staining) for the measurement of myocardial infarct size, cardiomyocyte size, capillary density, interstitial and perivascular collagen types 1 and 3, interstitial collagen volume fraction, apoptosis and necrosis. Finally, Quantitative in vitro autoradiography and fluorescnece/confocal microscopy will be utilized for radioreceptor binding assays and anatomical and cellular localization of membrane-bound, intracellular and nuclear receptors.